Papers dropping Brent Bozell after conservative media critic admits he didn't write his columns

A longtime arch conservative crusader against feminism, secularism, marriage equality and other LGBT rights has been exposed as a figurehead whose books and columns were all written by an uncredited underling.

According to Talking Points Memo, one widely-read Iowa newspaper dropped media commentator Brent Bozell's column in the wake of his exposure and received not a single protest from any reader.

Bozell, founder of the far-right Media Research Center, was exposed by media watchdog Jim Romenesko, who revealed that books and columns that Bozell had passed off as his own work were actually written by MRC employee Tim Graham.

"The conservative Media Research Center often urges liberal news outlets to TELL THE TRUTH, but the Reston, VA-based press watchdog isn’t telling the truth about its own leader: Brent Bozell doesn’t write the syndicated column that appears under his byline," Romenesko wrote.

An MRC employee contacted Romenesko via email, saying that Graham is the author of “almost everything published under [Bozell's] name."

The employee -- whose identity Romenesko declined to reveal -- continued, “That includes his weekly column. Same goes for his books, which at least carry Graham’s name in a secondary billing, but also aren’t written by Bozell (but Bozell keeps 80-90% of the advance and all profits!)."

In the wake of the revelations, some newspapers announced that they would continue to carry Bozell's column, but with Graham's name also credited. Iowa's Quad-City Times, however, announced Saturday that it was dropping the column, which has frequently lashed out at the so-called "liberal media," urging its practitioners to "Tell the truth."

The Times' editors wrote, "We’re happy to spend on columnists who bring a wider perspective to readers. But we can’t continue to publish anyone who willfully submits others’ work as his own."

On Wednesday, the newspaper's editors noted that they had intended to publish any letters to the editor complaining about their decision to drop Bozell's column, but noted that no one had written in to complain.

"We did not receive one letter or comment protesting our decision or defending Bozell," wrote the editors.